Robin Forney points out college football merchandise available at Party City on Market Place Boulevard.

While it heralds the unofficial end of summer, Labor Day weekend also marks the start of college football season.

Businesses in Forsyth County are gearing up to help customers with their tailgating and other outdoor parties and family events this holiday weekend.

Brenda Reid, a spokeswoman for area Publix Super Markets, said Labor Day is a big time for gatherings.

“Labor Day gives customers an opportunity to celebrate with friends and family by cooking out, picnicking or tailgating,” she said.

The markets will offer a range of sales on food suitable for parties and tailgating this week, Reid said.

“Publix offers some great meal and snack solutions by putting traditional items on sale,” she said, noting those will include pork spare ribs, corn on the cob, ground chuck and shrimp skewers.

“And for tailgaters especially, we have a sale on our hot and spicy chicken wings.”

Robin Forney, assistant manager at Party City on Market Place Boulevard, said her store is also ready to help customers who will be entertaining this weekend.

“They will buy things for picnics and parties generally Thursday and Friday before Labor Day,” Forney said. “That’s usually the last summer hit is Labor Day.

“They’ll be having luau parties, there will be people that’ll do barbecues. So they’ll buy the plates and the buffet caddies, and the ketchup and mustard dispensers, all those kinds of things.”

As for football season, Forney said the store carries a range of themed items such as banners, balloons and stuffed animals for the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech.

“We carry all the teams online, but for this particular area all we carry in stores is Georgia and Georgia Tech,” she said. “Those are the two big ones here, but we do get some requests together for teams like Alabama.”